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The World Is Wide Enough

February 13, 2017

Fact: It’s hard enough finding plus-size clothes that fit. Second fact: It’s even harder to get companies to respond when you ask them about their lack of sizes. Third fact: It’s a particularly narrow (see what I did there?) selection when it comes to fandom clothing. So you can imagine my surprise when I not only heard back from a company I bought a shirt from, but then had an inspiring and hopeful conversation with a rep from that company!

Here’s what happened: I bought a long-sleeve shirt from Teerico, the site that sells Lin-Manuel Miranda’s officially licensed merchandise. I ordered the biggest size, 3XL. I’d ordered a 3XL in a t-shirt from this shop before, and it fit great, so I was hopeful. But what arrived was definitely not what I would consider a triple extra large. It’s probably fair to say it would fit someone who wears a Large. I was disappointed, but not surprised.

Things that make you go hmmm: Both of these are 3XL women’s shirts.

For returns, you have to email the website, so I did. And you know me—it wasn’t enough for me to just ask them to process my return. I wrote about how 67% of American women wear size 14 and up (and how this shirt probably wouldn’t fit a size 14). I wrote about how there is a lot of money to be made by companies who do better when it comes to giving us the sizes we need.

I expected to hear back about how to get my money back. What I didn’t expect was this:

That particular size certainly runs small and has given us fits. We are reviewing other manufacturers for plus sizes with mixed results – it’s a balancing act between quality and size options. We will certainly keep trying. All shapes and sizes is our absolute intent.

What?! You know that the sizing isn’t great, and you’re working to do better?! I practically swooned. Luis, the kind and thoughtful person from Teerico, offered to send me some other 3XL shirts to try. I wrote back and told him about Big Fit Deal, and asked for permission to talk about how happy I was to get a response from him. (Almost every other company I’ve written to has ignored me completely. The ones who haven’t ignored me have basically said “sorry not sorry.”) I also offered to let Luis know the manufacturers of other plus-size fandom shirts I own that fit me well. And then he wrote back:

Hey maybe you can be our plus size ambassador? We send you items and you can help us with the feedback needed to get it right for our beloved TeeRicans – what do you think?

I think that sounds like the best thing ever! Teaming up with the official merchandise site of my favorite writer and performer?! I’m in! I’m so excited to help Teerico outfit plus-size Lin-Manuel Miranda fans, to have a voice in their selection. Hopefully, it will help me—and you—to find your fit. Because, to paraphrase something I heard somewhere, the world is wide enough.